favor which means this case is likely headed all the way to the supreme court. live in the newsroom, nbc nbc bay area. fighting crime, one neighborhood at a time. that's the idea behind the annual national night out. which is taking place all over the bay area tonight. in oakland, where fewer police are on patrol neighbors come together like never before. nbc bay area jodi hernandez is live at oakland city hall where the national night kickoff is about to get under way. >> reporter: that's right. city leaders including the police chief are about to start a night of activities with those kick-off press conference here at city hall. an event organizers expect oakland residents who participate in the national night out event in record numbers. there are 452 block parties planned here in oakland tonight. we visited and spent some time in one oakland neighborhood today where folks feel it's more important than ever to organize.

>> right here, this is where they've actually cut with bolt cutters, the hinge. and then have tried to pry it opened. >> reporter: jeffrey shows us how a burglar broke into his garage last thursday morning targeting his north oakland home for the second time in two weeks. only this time, a neighbor saw the suspect and called police. >> i'm very thankful that the neighbors not only were alert, but called 911. this is going to lead to more -- >> reporter: that same burglar also struck a home down the street minutes earlier making off with a computer, camera equipment and a new bike. >> i asked the officer what can i do? and he said, get a dog. that's their answer, get a doing. >> try to get them enrolled in -- >> reporter: but neighbors are doing more. they're mobilizing and they're using tonight's national night out party to strategyize ways to cope with what they see as a shortage of props and an uptick

in crime. >> these gatherings hold a tremendous significance because we have this problem here in the city of oakland and the loss of police in the city of oakland. we have to come together as a community and watch out for each other. we have 80 fewer police to do so. >> the police showed up with police dogs and the police dogs found him. >> reporter: the neighbor explains how police found the burglar suspect hiding under his staircase while residents are happy with the way police responded, they know it's more important than ever to be on the lookout for people who want to commit crime. >> i don't know if it's a concerted effort to take advantage of air weakness in law enforcement but it's a real occurrence. >> reporter: again, 452 block parties will take place in oakland alone to give you an idea of how much this event has grown. just six years ago we're told there were just 35 parties here in the city of oakland. reporting live in oakland, jodi

hernandez, nbc bay area news. and, the national night out event are planned all around the bay area tonight, at least 80 block parties are going to be held in san jose. in east palo alto, their festivities include a parade. national night out began in 1984 and last year more than 6 million people took part in events across the country. organizers expect more people to get involved this year. ever get a great deal on a gucci bag at fisherman's wharf. how many counterfeit products are for sale. we were there for this. cheryl? >> reporter: i hope it's not against the law to admit that the fake bags did look pretty good but the feds are cracking down on people who bring the fake bags over to the u.s. so how do they get here, you might ask? many of them come in containers like you see here at the port of oakland. almost always from china. a two-year undercover

investigation by the u.s. immigration and custom's enforcement resulted in the raid you see here. the video was provided by i.c.e., immigration and custom's enforcement. the joort of the raided stores are located in san francisco fisherman's wharf. fake coach bags, and it contained 50,000 designer accessories with an estimated value of more than $22 million. the entire two-year investigation led to the seizure of nearly 100 million worth of merchandise. that dollar value is based on the items if they were real. >> counterfeit goods, not just a game, it's not something that people sort of work the corners and take advantage of, but it undermines the entire retail marketplace. it creates an uncompetitive environment for retailers who were trying to play by the

rules. >> reporter: it is important to note that many of the store owners in fisherman's wharf in san francisco do play by the rules. we spent some time at fisherman's wharf and talked to people shopping, many from out of town, to see how they feel about fake goods they may have bought or sold or seen. we'll tell you what they had to say at 6:00. reporting live, bay area news. to outsiders, this may look like the worst of times to take over the top job at the time san jose fire department. but the new guy said today he welcomes the challenge. willie mcdonald met with reporters for the first time on this, his second day on the job. how does he feel about taking over the department that just laid off 49 firefighters? mcdonald, most recently, the chief of scotsdale, arizona, says he knows what he's getting into. >> being here at this time i think is really something that i wanted to do because i think

that i have a lot of background and experience in trying to manage organizations and lead organizations through challenging times. particularly ones where the resources are so limited as they are here in the city of san jose. >> the city and union have yet to agree on a contract that would cut $10 million from the fire budget. the two sides sit down to negotiate again tomorrow. union members rallied in sacramento today to protest furlough days for stay employees. the governor ordered the new round of furloughs after his order to cut state workers' pay to minimum wage stalled in court. aggravating the situation is the state's $19 billion deficit and the legislature's failure to pass a state budget. union members say they have been unfairly targeted and are carrying the weight of the budget deficit on their shoulders. one larm who spoke at the rally agrees their pay should not be cut because of the legislature's

inactions. >> that's how it is in the private sector. if a company can't reach an agreement at senior leadership, if you put work in you ought to get paid. >> the union wants to see the adoption of a new law that bars salary changes during a budget impasse and if that bill passes it would reduce the governor's leverage to pressure lawmaker relevance to pass a budget on time. an undiagnosed heart condition is to blame for the collapse and death of an 11-year-old boy during football practice in eldorado county. last night was the first practice of the city at the time high school in the community of garden valley, northeast of sacramento. it was andrew's second season on the junior grizzlies. this photo was taken before he cut his long hair which he grew out to donate to "locks of love." the grandfather said the boy's collapse was sudden, as the team started doing nonetheless contract drills. >> he walked up to the coach and said he didn't feel good.

and just a few seconds after that he passed out and they lost his heartbeat and they brought him back and they brought him back about three different times. >> off-duty firefighters immediately gave andrew emergency care until paramedics arrived. a connecticut man opened fire at his workplace today killing eight people before he turned the gun on himself! police swarm the beer distributor's warehouse where the suspect, omar thorton was a driver. a union official says thorton was caught on tape stealing here and was called to a meeting where he was told to either quit or be fired. police say that's when he pulled a gun and started shooting. at s.w.a.t. teams prepared to enter the family-owned businesses ambulance ps lined up to take the victims to hospitals. >> we believe that ten people were shot by the gunman. eight fatally and two others were treated at hartford hospital. >> as many as 70 people were in

the warehouse when the shotting rampage began. here's how it looks in the gulf of mexico where bp engineers are pumping mud into the blown-out oil well hoping to seal it permanently. the procedure is called a static kill that was briefly delayed by a hi hydraulic leak. if it works the thick drilling mud will push the crude oil back to the natural reservoir beneath the floor of the gulf and then, depending on how well that holds crews could begin to seal the well with cement. then the focus can shift entirely to clean-up. >> we need to be sober by the fact that a lot of oil is stopped and we're not dealing with a day-to-day threat anymore. we need to assess the long-term impact on the ecology, the environment and the gulf. >> meanwhile, bp continues to drill a nearby relief well to enensure that the damaged well stays plugged. an east bay landmark is

gleaming because of a paint job. part of a barttering program, an alternative way for businesses to pay for goods and services during this down economy. tracy is live with more. tracy? >> reporter: well, lisa, even the owner of the historic theater admits that it was starting to look a little rundown lately. but i want you to look at the theater behind me, even though there was very little money available to repair and to renovate, it's looking fantastic today. all of the parties involved found a way to get things done without relying entirely on cash. >> business has been off. we couldn't afford to do the paint jobs that the grant lake needed. >> the 84-year-old movie theater looks brand new again but how did the owner manage to get the $70,000 paint job done woman a fraction of the cash?

barttering. biz exchange in oakland brokered this deal. they paid $28,000 in currency and $42,000 in coupon force movie tickets, popcorn and 'drinks. they will find a way to distribute the coupons as part of other bartter agreements. >> i wanted to follow-up on those couple thousand neck pillows -- >> reporter: chris says barttering has become more popular in the struggling economy because us markets the company's excess capacity and downtime. >> a hotel that before was running 95% occupancy didn't really need to think outside the box. but when they're running 74% occupancy, all the sudden the general sales manager or the vp of sales or marketing director is like, let's sit down and see what we can do together. >> reporter: greg's company, s & s paint k did the work. >> it brings you work that you normally would not get otherwise. >> reporter: he says that instead of cutting back on employee's hours again, he was able to give them 35 days worth

of work by painting the theater. he ends up with $42,000 in credit in his bartter account that he plans to exchange for advertising and a website for his company. >> it's really a good feather in my cap to get a job like that for the crew to complete. >> that's what it does. it spreads out the cost of doing this work over and number of years. >> reporter: that's true, actually. there's no way that someone's going to walk into this theater and try to use $42,000 in movie coupons all at once. it make take years for all the coupons to come back in so that means the grand lake theater has a lot of work done at once and has a lot of time to pay it off. and ahead this evening, credit card companies working to get around new rules meant to protect consumers. important tips to make sure you don't fall into the credit card trap. the second time is apparently not the charm for bristol palin and levien.

>> stop. why sarah palin's daughter called off her engagement for a second time. and good afternoon. i'm meteorologist, jeff ranieri live in santa clara where it's more than just a block party. it's about the community coming together and inspiring each other and having a fun time as well. we'll tell you what all these guys are doing out here coming up with your forecast. they're loud! america's obesity epidemic. the numbers are off the charts!

let's face it, no one wants to give out their true weight but no stats from the centers

for stees control suggest americans a americans are fessing up to being fat. at erika edwards reports, no one is reaching the target for cutting obesity. >> reporter: americans are more overweight than ever and may die sooner because of it. harsh headlines from a new report from the centers for disease control. >> about a third of americans are obese. >> reporter: from 2007 to 2009, just two years, the number of states with more than a third of their population considered obese tripled from three states to nine. the cdc report may underestimate the true obesity prevalence because it's based on telephone interviews. >> people tend to underreport their weight and overreport their height so when prevalence is based on bmi you get underestimates from self-report. >> reporter: and as america's waistline has grown, so has the price tag for treating obesity-related diseases like diabetes, heart disease and cancer. the cdc report shows o beelsity accounted for 10% of medical costs in 2008 or about 150

billion. >> we can't afford not to come to terms with this problem. it is expensive and likely to break the medical bank. >> reporter: doctors say making small changes today can add up. for starters they suggest drinking more water and cutting back on sugary drinks. >> instead of looking for the closest spot in the parking lot to the front of the store, park in the back of the parking lot and add some extra step. >> reporter: those first stepped combined with community-wide efforts like increasing walking and biking areas may pave the way to a slimmer and healthier america. ircan edwards with nbc 234us. no state met the national goal of limiting obesity to 15%. california falls below the national average of an obesity rate of 20 to 24%. more credit card laws in place look at your bills carefully. consumer groups say banks are finding new ways to make money

now that they're in required to give you more notice about raising rates. annual fees are up 18%. cash advance and balance transfer fees are up 33%. and banks are pushing rebate and corporator cards that are not covered by the new law. also, look for new processing fees that can eat up almost a third of your balance on low-limit cards. and be careful out there. nbc bay area set out to find the most dangerous intersections and we spoke with three experts in san jose, oakland and san francisco. each has one intersection where pedestrians and bicyclists are in danger. they say they're constantly making improvements to prevent accidents but dangers do exist. >> you'll also see folks running through yellows. or not really paying attention when they're taking a right looking for a cyclist or pedestrian that might be entering the intersection. >> our experts say right turns at intersections are always one of the top reason force accidents. you can watch the two-part

series on the "dangers of roads" beginning tonight at 11:00. it's about keeping the danger and crime out of your neighborhood with "night out." jeff ranieri is out at in santa clara tonight. hey, jeff. >> hey there, lisa and tom. another day of relaxing. it's about some part of having fun with your neighbors in the community and the other part, really, is about empowering and taking back the streets and uniting together. i'll get up out of my chair. it's been pretty comfortable. i've had some drinks and we've got food cooking. happening here in santa clara from 5 to 8:30 tonight. overall, 37 million people tonight taking part in "national night out" and that's over about 15,000 communities in the u.s. the man that is at the helm of this santa clara national night out is don tanner. don, you're cooking it up.

tell us about it. >> you know it. national night out has been the national event going around the country for the past 20 some odd years and i've been proud to be doing this in santa clara for the past 23 or so. five right here at this house so this is a good event to get to know your neighbors and have a great night out. >> it really is something that's quite fantastic. a lot of times you can live next to somebody and maybe you don't see them too often and, you know, it's about unity and coming together. these burgers and hotdogs smell great. it's called "national night out." it's late afternoon so everyone is not out here yet. but in your community, where you are, it certainly is pretty fantastic night here in northern california to get on out. thanks a lot, don. looking here at the 48-hour forecast, high pressure off the pacific and the jet stream is taking a little bit of a dip to the south and that's helping to drag in more milder air here across the bay area.

that will mean more widespread 70s as we head throughout wednesday and even into thursday's forecast. summer is going to be staying away. as we look at the forecast for tonight, temperatures in the 50s for the east bay. and, also, here for san francisco down into san mateo. otherwise, for 2:00 p.m. tomorrow, 78 sected in livermore. 79 in fairfield. 75 in san jose and 71 in redwood city. also, san jose "music in the park" on thursday. and temperatures will be in the 60s by 7:00 p.m. also, our seven-day forecast coming up. that will show plenty of low to mid 80s in the forecast as we head throughout this week. another mild trend coming back into the bay area as we continue throughout this week. so it is national night out in america. we're in santa clara and we're cooking it up and having a good time! a lot of people out here tonight! back to you. >> why not? august in santa clara in the

evening hours, perfect. well, the white house reveals the president's plan on his birthday celebration. why it does not include the first lady. >> but first, bristol palin calls it quits with levi johnston again. we've got the reason behind the latest breakup and reaction from bristol's mom. that would be sarah. what this droid does will change how you do movies. with blockbuster on demand, this does hit films on a 4.3-inch screen so big, the way you see them will never be the same. introducing the new droid x. pre-loaded with blockbuster.

the next generation of does.

sarah palin's daughter bristol and levi johnston announced their new engagement last month. if you said, "i give it two weeks" you're correct. tear the magazine cover down the middle because the two have split up again. bristol palin, talking to "people" magazine, says the same night that they announced their engagement, johnston told her that he may have fathered a baby with another girl. palin also claim he is told her he was going to hollywood to see a hunting show but actually started in a music video mocking her family. sarah palin says she hopes bristol will, quote, move

forward in life with her same giving, gracious, optimistic spirit but hence forth she'll know to trust but verify. >> wise words. he's a winner. >> sure is. president obama has big birthday plans. >> we'll let you know what he's doing coming up next. those people are happy 'cause they're gonna have a good time, and they've got extra money in their pocket. those are happy passengers. how much does it cost for those snacks again? nothing. at southwest airlines, when we have a sale, it's a sale. [ male announcer ] southwest airlines has flights starting at $49 one-way. book now only at southwest.com. [ rand ] how can you not want to get on the plane? come on and get on the plane. we're saving you money. now that's a plane full of happy. [ employees ] grab your bag. it's on. [ ding ] a budget disaster. california on the brink. jerry brown's plan?

you run for office and the assumption is, oh, i know what to do. you don't. i didn't have a plan for california. [ female announcer ] with our state in crisis, we need a governor with a plan. you need a real plan, something i'll acknowledge i did not have. [ female announcer ] jerry brown. no plan then. no plan now. meg whitman. a plan for jobs. log on. learn more.

happy birthday, mr. president. today the president hosted a town hall with i think african-american leaders in washington, d.c. tomorrow, he'll head home to chicago to celebrate his 49th. he'll have dinner with friends and spend the night in his house but, obama will be solo. the first lady is in spain with their i thinkest daughter, sacha. >> boy's night out in chicago.

you behave yourself, mr. president. up next on "the nightly news," the gulf oil disaster through the eyes of children. thanks for joining us here at 5:00. more he cal news head yourd way at 6:00. see you then.